


Tulsa, 1997

by tjs_whatnot



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Pre-Canon, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 21:06:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13598385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjs_whatnot/pseuds/tjs_whatnot
Summary: “She’s had a rough night. Just… I don’t know… be a person.”





	Tulsa, 1997

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seariderfalcon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seariderfalcon/gifts).



> Seariderfalcon,
> 
> Like you, I have been spending a bit of time revisiting these characters (ALOT!) This time though, I'm looking for the stories that happened before, after and the in between. This is one of those stories...

Danny Concannon made his way to the hotel’s bar because he was just too tired to make it to the elevator and go to his room. He thought he’d get a drink while he worked up the energy to go to bed. His deadline wasn’t until the next afternoon, so he had time.

“Hey,” he said as he walked by Toby Ziegler coming out of the bar.

“Hey, Danny,” Toby replied, but stopped and turned back. “You going to the bar?”

Danny looked at where he was standing, right at the door of the bar and nodded slowly. “I thought I might.”

Toby looked over Danny’s shoulder. Danny turned to look as well. C.J. Cregg was at the bar. She looked like she might be the only one left in the room.

“Listen,” Toby began but didn’t continue.

“Yeah?”

Toby ran his hand over his scalp. “Just… don’t…”

“Don’t what, Toby?”

“Don’t be a reporter tonight, okay?”

“What do you… what…?”

“She’s had a rough night. Just… I don’t know… be a person.”

“Uh...okay.” 

Toby studied him for a moment longer, as if not sure he should trust Danny, or that he should leave C.J. alone with a reporter.

Danny took the pencil he’d been carrying behind his ear and handed it to Toby. “I promise. I’m not looking for a story tonight.”

Toby took the pencil, looked at it for a moment before sighing. “Yeah, okay.”

>>>

C.J. looked up as Danny pulled out the barstool across the bar from her. She smiled and raised her shot glass to him, spilling a bit as she did.

“You’re a class act, Mr. Concannon.”

“I’m sorry?” he asked, his voice raised. He stood beside his stool.

“You walk into an empty bar where a woman you have, from time to time, flirted relentlessly with sits and instead of just assuming and sitting beside her to maybe play on her weakened-- less than drunk, more than sober-- state, you sit way over there, respecting my--I mean her-- desire to be left alone.”

Danny smiled, still not sitting down, but not coming closer either. “I was doing that. I was absolutely doing all of that. But, I think, with your raising your glass, with your instigating dialogue, I think maybe you’re not so sure you actually do want to be left alone.”

“No?”

He shrugged, moving a bit closer, slowly. “No. But I think you were right. I am a class act and I don’t want to flirt with you in this condition.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Why don’t you?”

Now he was standing beside her. “Because,” he started, leaning in and speaking low. “One day, I am going to positively knock you off your feet. And the day I do, I want it to be because of me, and not because of that.” He pointed to the drink in her hand.

She swallowed. Looking away, as if the conversation had gotten too real and she couldn’t look him in the face when she spoke. “I look forward to that day.”

She took the shot and then wobbled to her feet. Grabbing her purse and the high-heels she had been wearing at the fundraiser earlier that night.

Danny watched her walk to the elevator, making sure she was sober enough to make her way to her room. She got in and waved to him before pushing the button to shut the door.

“I look forward to it as well,” he said to absolutely no one.


End file.
